On December 2, 2018, the Kennedy Center held its 41st annual national celebration of the arts — The Kennedy Center Honors. The 2018 Honorees include singer and actress Cher, composer and pianist Philip Glass, Country music entertainer Reba McEntire, and jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter.

“The world looks to America for its creative instincts and artistic courage,” said Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter. “This year’s slate of Honorees represents the pinnacle of our nation’s originality and the rich mosaic of diverse perspectives and art forms that has come to define who we are as a people.”

In a star-studded celebration hosted by 2017 Honoree Gloria Estefan on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage, the 2018 Honorees were saluted by today's leading performers from New York, Hollywood, and the arts capitals of the world through performances and tributes.

Cher

“The Kennedy Center Honors has always been a way to celebrate those artists who have made a difference in our lives and our culture. Cher has always been a pioneer—a woman who pushed boundaries, set her own rules, and dared to try everything. She’s a true hero, and she has changed millions of lives for the better.”

David Geffen

Philip Glass

“Despite the urge to categorize his work, I think it’s beyond genre. It is truly unique. In essence, it’s about the exploration of form and about finding new ways to present forms that are familiar yet have been redefined. He breathes life into old forms and creates an abundance of new forms and new ideas. He has never stopped amazing me. He once told me that they can always copy what you’ve done, but they can never copy what you’re going to do.”

Errol Morris

Reba McEntire

“Talking with her is like talking with an old friend. If you didn’t know WHO she was, you would never think she was anything but, well, normal. And that is one of the most impressive things about her: you can watch her dazzle the crowd in the most glamorous and magical of ways yet at the same time imagine her waking up the next morning and making breakfast for her family. She is larger than life but still a small-town girl. She is everything the rest of us are just trying to be.”

Carrie Underwood

Wayne Shorter

“Wayne is one of the greatest musicians I have ever known. He plays with joy and naiveté and sophistication in the harmonic sense; he’s a metaphysical player. When we were in the studio together, I would speak in metaphors and he understood. Wayne’s playing is pictorial, he’s a genius. He helped me create the sound and feeling I wanted; no one else could do that because you cannot put words to what he creates; it’s like painting a picture with music.”

Joni Mitchell

Hamilton co-creators

“I first heard the music that would become Hamilton in a yellow medallion cab. Lin plunked headphones over my ears, and a rough demo blasted. His eyes stayed on me the entire three minutes, with an excited look that seemed to say: “Does this work? Is this nuts? I kinda think this may work!” By the time President Barack Obama gave Lin and Alex an ebullient standing ovation at the White House, that solo demo had become a fledgling collaboration. This nation has, since its founding, walked two paths: the idea of America and the reality of America. Those paths have often been divergent, with blessed moments of overlap. Hamilton is an overlap moment. May we, as a nation, learn from its collaborative model.”

Quiara Alegría Hudes

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History of the Kennedy Center Honors

Throughout its 40-year history, the Kennedy Center Honors has redefined America's perception of its artistic legacy and reinvented the way this nation rewards its artists. The Honors have been compared to a knighthood in Britain, or the French Legion of Honor--the quintessential reward for a lifetime's endeavor. At the same time, the annual addition of new names to the roster of Honors recipients charts the international standard of excellence set by America's artists, as well as the aesthetic inspiration provided by artists of other nations who have achieved prominence on these shores.

The annual Honors gala is an evening without categories, without disappointments, and without competition. And the Honors telecast, aired during the week between Christmas and New Year's, is a perennial Emmy nominee. It serves for millions of American arts lovers as the year's crowning event, paying tribute to our nation's preeminent artists with performances by the great stars of today who have followed in their footsteps.
The complete list of guest performers is kept secret until the show is in progress, keeping both the Honorees and the nation on the edge of their seats.

Past Kennedy Center Honorees

Throughout the years, the Kennedy Center Honors has upheld a tradition of recognizing the lifelong accomplishments and extraordinary talents of our nations' most-prestigious artists. Find out more about past Honorees by clicking on a name below.